The rise of AR apps
A blizzard of augmented reality (AR) apps are taking the smartphone industry by storm. AR apps provide a way to indirectly interact with the external world through a virtual representation of a user’s environment caked on with texts and images. In an effort to cut through the jungle of mobile applications available, the following is a list of some of the coolest AR apps today.
Google Translate
Although not strictly an AR app, Google Translate does have an AR feature that is useful to translate texts. The feature is part of the app’s camera mode. Users can take a photo of a text they cannot read. The feature will then translate the text into readable prose in the photo in real time. The AR app hosts a number of languages. It is particularly useful for travelers in foreign countries unable to read street signs and menus.
Star Walk
Star Walk is ideal for amateur astronomers and stargazers. The AR app takes a user’s data coordinates to project an interactive view of the night sky. All users have to do is point their device at the sky to see what stars, constellations and satellites they are looking at in real time. It also provides a rundown of each day’s astronomical events, including when the sun rises and sets, and the current phase of the moon. By tapping a search icon, users can search for and pinpoint objects in the heavens, and keep tabs on their trajectory paths across the starry landscape. Other features of Star Walk include Time Machine mode, which enables users to view starscapes at past and future dates.
Zombies, Run!
The world of AR has not let the zombie franchise slip through its cold, dead fingers. With the AR app Zombies, Run! users can interact with characters, collect supplies, fulfill mission objectives and avoid zombies on their morning run. It is hands free and accompanied by an automatic radio. The AR app keeps tabs on the player’s distance, time, pace and calories burned during each mission. Runners can also create a ZombieLink account, which provides users with a summary of their runs.
Plane Finder – Flight Tracker
Plane Finder is Google play’s top rated travel app. It enables users to watch live air traffic from anywhere around the globe. The AR app provides detailed statistics regarding an aircraft’s speed, heading, age and seating capacity. Moreover, it provides users with accurate airport arrival and departure boards, as well as schedule changes and delays. The AR app can also notify users when a plane is above them.
Diet Sensor
Diet Sensor allows users to scan food to manage their weight. In particular, the AR app uses the world’s first handheld spectrometer by consumer physics, which measures the chemical composition of items, including food. The spectrometer beams near-infrared light onto the food, called a spectrum, which is analyzed by the Diet Sensor’s cloud database. However, the spectrometer only works for homogeneous foods like bread, cheese and poultry. Non-homogeneous foods like pizza, hamburgers and sushi must be logged into the app manually.
The noted list highlights just the tip of the iceberg of AR apps out there. New AR apps are being deployed every day. For an in-depth look into how augmented reality can benefit humanity, click here.
